314 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in Alberta, along with 16 additional deaths
CBC News | Posted: February 12, 2021 11:45 PM | Last Updated: February 12, 2021
15 new cases of more contagious COVID-19 variants were also recorded in Alberta
Alberta reported 314 new cases of COVID-19 around the province on Friday, as well as 16 additional deaths recorded in the last 24 hours.
There are now 5,407 active cases in the province. That includes 371 people in hospital, of which 66 are in intensive care units.
Since the pandemic began, 1,760 people have died from COVID-19 in Alberta.
With the Family Day long weekend ahead, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical officer of health, posted a message on Friday urging Albertans to be mindful of health precautions.
"This is not the time for the large get-togethers of past years," Hinshaw said in a Twitter post.
"By not gathering with people outside our household, we're not giving COVID-19 the chance to spread. Meet virtually or get together outdoors with no more than 10 people and stay two metres apart."
COVID-19 variants continue to spread around the province.
As of Friday, 171 cases of the more contagious COVID-19 variants have been reported in Alberta, including 15 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.
Of those, 164 cases are of the B117 variant first identified in the United Kingdom have now been found in Alberta. The other seven are of the B1351 variant, first discovered in South Africa.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that air travellers landing in Canada will have to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense starting Feb. 22. This measure is to curb the spread of the new COVID-19 variants.
Before that happens, all Alberta travellers arriving at international land border crossings will be required to show proof of a negative PCR test completed in the United States within the previous 72 hours. That measure begins on Monday.
Once new federal restrictions at airports are in place, Alberta will suspend its border COVID-19 testing pilot program at the Calgary airport. Hinshaw said Thursday that the border pilot will continue at the Coutts border entry until the federal government decides whether additional restrictions are needed at land border crossings.
So far, 140,389 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta. Of those, 45,910 Albertans have been fully immunized with two doses.
On Thursday, Premier Jason Kenney said the province would pursue additional domestic production of COVID-19 vaccines, after the Manitoba government made a deal to buy two million vaccine doses from a Calgary-based company.
Hinshaw's next live update to the province will take place on Tuesday.
Of Alberta's 5,407 active cases, here's how they break down by region:
- Calgary zone: 2,125
- Edmonton zone: 1,567
- Central zone: 693
- South zone: 305
- North zone: 710
- Unknown: 7